tomarin



H. A. TOMARIN CARTON CARRIER July 12, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 12, 1951 INVENTOR.

HARRY A. TOMARIN ATTOR EY July 12, 1955 H. A. TOMARIN 2,712,959

CARTON CARRIER Filed Feb. 12, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E; INVENTOR.

HARRY A. TOMARIN ATTORNEY VII'II" United States Patent CARTON CARRIER Harry A. Tomarin, (Iincinnati, Ohio, assignor to Loroco Industries incorporated, Reading, Ohio, a corporation of Ghio Application February 12, 195i, Serial No. 210,497

2 Claims. (Ci. 294-87.2)

This invention relates to carriers for so-called singleservice, fiat-topped containers and particularly to a carrier for securing and suspending a pair of juxtaposed containers from their upper portions, as contrasted from supporting containers from their bottom portions.

An object of the invention is to provide a carrier for a pair of similar, elongated, substantially rectangular containers of the type having flat tops having substantially continuous lips projecting from the peripheral edges thereof, which containers are securely though releasably fastened together whereby to be collectively dispensed, transported and sold as a single unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier for securely though releasably engaging a pair of similar, elongated substantially rectangular containers in juxtaposition wherein said carrier is fabricated from inexpensive sheet material, and wherein said carriers may be stored until ready for use in fully collapsed compact condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carrier having the hereinabove described characteristics which may be quickly and easily set up and associated with a pair of substantially similar elongated flat-topped rectangular containers for securing them together in sideby-side relationship, thereby facilitating transportation of the two containers as a single unit.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a carrier for a pair of similar elongated substantially rectangular flat-topped, singleservice containers which includes means formed integral therewith dimensioned to engage parts of the peripheral top edges of said containers for thereby suspending said containers from the carrier.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a carrier wherein the container engaging means are so constructed and arranged that they will automatically engage the underside of adjacent portions of the peripheral lips of adjoining containers incident to lowering of a carrier onto and over a pair of similar juxtaposed containers, thereby suspendably mounting the containers from the carrier.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier having the hereinabove described characteristics which includes a hand grip portion for facilitating ease of transportation of the containers engaged by the carrier.

till another object of the invention is to provide a carrier having hand grip portions which may be conveniently folded for facilitating vertical stacking of a plurality of pairs of similar containers secured together by similar carriers.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a carrier which may be inexpensively produced using modern mass production techniques.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and as disclosed in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a carrier of the present invention may be fabricated.

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Fig. 2 is a plan view of a carrier assembled from the blank of Fig. 1, said blank being illustrated in the fully collapsed or folded condition in which it may be stored until ready for use.

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the carrier of Fig. 2 operatively associated with a pair of similar flat-topped, elongated, substantially rectangular containers.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the relative position of the container top and carrier incident to lowering of a carrier onto a pair of containers.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the device of Fig. 3 showing the hand grip panels of the carrier folded downwardly onto the fiat tops of the containers for permitting stacking of a plurality of carrier-container units in vertical relationship.

With reference now to Fig. 3, the numeral 19 denotes generally a carrier embodying the details of the present invention and the numerals 12 denote generally a pair of similar elongated substantially rectangular containers which are secured in side-by-side relationship by the carner.

The carrier comprises, broadly speaking, a continuous band 14 which includes a pair of laterally spaced side panels or portions 16 and a pair of laterally spaced end panels or portions 18, wherein the length of each side 16 is at least twice the width of sides 20 or" the individual con tainers 12, and wherein the length of each end 18 is at least as long as the Width dimension of ends 22 of the containers.

The height dimension of band 14 should be of such a dimension as to exert a compressive force onto the containers received therein for maintaining the adjacent panels of the containers in substantial abutting relationship when they are suspended from the carrier. In those instances wherein the height of the containers approximates 7% inches, uniformly excellent results are obtained when the band width approximates 2 inches.

As best disclosed in Fig. l, the carrier may be fabricated from a single sheet of material such as, by way of example, cardboard, wherein alternate side and end panels 16 and 18 are set apart by means of score or fold lines 30. An end or locking flap 32'may be formed integral with endmost end panel 18 from which it is set off by fold or score line 34, it being observed that lock panel 32 could alternately, if desired, be formed integral with the endmost side panel 16.

A hand grip panel 36 is set apart from the upper edge of each of the side panels 16 by a score or fold line 33, wherein the length dimension of the hand grip panels is substantially equal to the overall length of their respective side panel.

The width or height dimension of hand grip panels 36, as measured between score or fold lines 38 and outer edge 40 is of a dimension sufiicient to enable panels 36 to be extended upwardly in converging relationship whereby to meet as at 42, see Fig. 3, thereby forming elongated apex above and parallel to fold or score lines 38. In the preferred embodiment of the invention a score or fold line 42 is provided in each of the hand grip panels 36 for thereby defining the base of apex 42 when the carrier has been associated with a pair of similar containers.

One of panels 36 may be provided with an elongated hand-receptive aperture 44, the other panel with a complementary elongated flap 46 hingedly secured to its respective panel as at 48. If desired, hinge connection 48 may be in axial alignment with fold or score line 42, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

A flap 50 defined by free outer edge 52 and end edges 54 is provided in each side panel 36, to which it is hingedly secured along fold or score line 56 disposed in parallelism with and intermediate upper and lower edges of the side 6 panels wherein said upper edges are defined by score or fold lines 38 and the lower edges by numeral 52.

With particular reference now to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be noted that when the carrier is set up from its fully collapsed condition of Fig. 2 for association with a pair of similar, flat-topped containers 12, flaps 50 are initially turned or folded upwardly interiorly of the carrier about score or fold lines 56 for thereby providing a'pair of subpanels adapted to be disposed in overlapping relationship with the inner faces of their respective side panels and for disposing their free edges 52 in substantial spaced parallelism with top edge 33 of a side panel.

With particular reference now to Figs. 3, 4 and '5, it will bC IlQCGd that containers 12 are of the so-called flattopped, single-service type, wherein the top of each container comprises a flat sealing panel 7@ the peripheral edges of which are engaged by the upper edges of the side and end walls which, as best illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, are turned inwardly as at 72, thence outwardly as at 74, thence inwardly as at 76 for providing a peripheral lip or edge 78, the outermost edges of which are in substantial alignment with corresponding portions of the side and end walls of the container.

.It should be noted that-the present invention is neither directed to nor concerned with the particular manner in v ly, that is, toward their respective side panels, by the outer edges of peripheral lips 78 incident to lowering of the carrier'onto and over the upper edges of the containers, it being noted that band 14 is constructed and arranged to slidably engage the outer faces of a pair of elongated, flat-topped, substantially rectangular containers 12, the tops and adjacent portions of the peripheral lips of 'which are disposed in end-to-end relationship and with adjoining side or end panels of the containers in abutting relationship.

The, carrier of Fig. is slid downwardly over the juxtaposed containers until free edge 52 of the flaps or sub-panels 50 have been disposed below peripheral lips 78 whereby the free upper ends of said sub-panels will automatically spring outwardly away from their respective side panels by reason of the inherent resilient characteristics of thesheet material from which the carrier is fabricated. a

From the foregoing, it will be noted that the free upper ends 52 of flaps or sub-panels 50 will automatically engage the underside of adjacent portions of peripheral lips 78 of adjoining containers, thereby suspendably securing the containers from the carrier.

'As best disclosed in Fig. 3, the juxtaposed containers have their opposite sides secured to and suspended from a common flap or sub-panel, the overall length of which. as measured between ends 54, is of a dimension sufiicient to provide the necessary bearing area. In those instances wherein square elongated containers are utilized having side and end panels measuring 2% inches in width, uniformly satisfactory results have been obtained when the length of edge 52 of each flap or subpanel 50 approximates 3 inches.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, and as best disclosed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the upper edge 82 of each end panel 18 is disposed below the upper edge of the adjacent side panels 36 for thereby precluding accidental or unintentional engagement of said upper edge with the underside of the overhanging peripheral lip 78 of container end panels 22.

In those instances where it is desired to stack a plurality of similar units each comprising a pair of similar containers interconnected by a carrier 10, the hand grip panels 36 may be folded downwardly about score or fold lines 38 into overlapping relationship with and onto the flat tops of the containers, as illustrated in Fig. 6.

Carrier 10 may be disengaged from a pair of containers in response to an intentional, deliberateact for shifting or sliding band 14 downwardly for withdrawing the upper edges of the flaps or sub-panels from engagement with the underside of peripheral flaps 78.

By reason of the low cost of my carrier, it may, if desired, be torn from the containers and discarded; or the carrier may be used over and over.

it should be understood that various changes and modifications in the structural details 'of the carrier may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A carrier for a pair of elongate, substantially rectangular containers having peripheral lips around their top portions, said carrier comprising a continuous band including alternate side and end panels dimensioned to slidably engage the outer sides of a pair of said containers for securing them in side-by-side relationship, a pair of hand grip panels hinged one to the upper edge of each side panel, flaps hinged one to each side panel foldable upwardly into overlapping relationship with the inner faces thereof providing in each side panel an edge spanning adjacent sides of and receivable beneath the lips of said containers for suspendably mounting the containers from the carrier, said hand grip panels adapted to be disposed in one or the other of two normal positions, in lowered overlapping relationship with the tops of the containers for facilitating vertical stacking of a plurality of pairs of similar carrier-engaged containers, or in upwardly convergent relationshipfor facilitating suspension of the carrier therefrom.

2. A carrier for a pair of similar, elongate, substantially rectangular containers having substantially continuous peripheral lips circumscribing their top portions, said carrier fabricated from fibrous sheet material and comprising a continuous band including alternate side and end panelsdimensioned to he slipped over the tops of and slidably engage the outer sides of a pair of said containers for securing them in side-by-side relationship,

a pair of hand grip panels hinged one to the upper edge of each side panel, flaps hinged one to each side panel foldable upwardly into overlapping relationship with the inner faces thereof providing sub panels each having an elongated upper edge dimensioned to span adjacent sidesof said containers, the free upper ends of said sub panels normally'spaced from their respective side panels by the inherent resilient characteristics of the sheet material from which the carrier is fabricated, the upper edges of said sub panels adapted to be engaged by and flexed apart by portions 'of the peripheral lips of the containers incident to lowering of the carrier onto and over the containers, said sub panels adapted to abuttingly engage portions of the adjacent sides of said containers for disposing the upper edges of said sub panels in engagement with the underside of said lips for suspendably.

mounting the containers from the carrier.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

